Formula Two

Coloni out from 2013, forefeits all 2012 points

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
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  • #131656
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    Scuderia Coloni will leave the GP2 series in 2013, and will forefiet all of their points – both the ones that they already have, and any that they score for the rest of the season after what they call a “disagreement” with series organisers. Obviously something big has happened, though neither party is willing to share details.

    #205201
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    That’s rather weird. Obviously it was quite a big falling out. A shame to because I’ve always quite liked Coloni, they seem a bit like the Minardi of GP2. Who if anyone will replace them in 2013?

    #205202
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    Their departure has only just been announced, so there almost certainly hasn’t been any time to arrange for someone else to take their place. Besides, series organisers have another six months before they need to worry about a thirteenth team, if they want someone to take Coloni’s place.

    #205203
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Prisoner Monkeys Yes, that’s what I meant. I did write ‘in 2013’. Anyway, why would they be looking for another team to replace them now? Coloni are going to finish the season. Isn’t there a list of ‘back-up teams’ for situations like this, which can enter at the start of the season if a team withdraws, like Lazarus did after Super Nova withdrew? Or is that FR3.5 I’m thinking of?

    #205204
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    I believe that is only in Formula Renault, and the list of reserve teams was introduced because the grid expanded, and the series organisers wanted to be sure that they had a full grid, even if the selected teams failed to make it. Now that the season has started, I believe the list of reserve teams has been disbanded.

    As for this incident with Coloni, I suspect that they have done something very, very wrong, and have essentially been kicked out of the championship, though thee organisers have given them the chance to bow out with a little dignity by allowing them to finish the season and refusing to comment.

    #205205
    James_mc
    Participant

    Very very odd.

    It wasn’t Coloni that were using dodgy fake parts a few seasons ago was it? I’m thinking that was perhaps someone else?

    #205206
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    @james_mc – I believe that was Durango, not Coloni. And the problem there was that in the event of a damaged chassis, the team was supposed to return it to Dallara for repairs or replacement, the idea being that since it was a spec chassis, no team could gain an advantage by making their own parts or doing their own repairs. However, Durango weren’t kicked out of the series for it. In fact, I don’t think they took any more of a penalty than a fine.

    #205207
    James_mc
    Participant

    Ah yes I remember now, it was Durango. I think that it was actually more cost-effective for them to procure their own parts, I seem to remember one journo blog recently backing this up relatively recently, pointing to the fact that GP2 suffers due to the relatively high cost of new parts when procured via Dallara.

    Anyway, where do Coloni go from here? I presume that they’ve got a few staff who now won’t have workload and shall be released? Or will they move to another series?

    #205208
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @James_mc It’s not surprising that some teams have tried to avoid getting replacement parts from Dallara, because as far as I know all parts have to be bought through GP2 and the series charges an extortionate amount for them. Regarding Coloni, they have their fingers in several pies and I don’t think there’ll be a shortage of things for the staff to do.

    #205209
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    I think that it was actually more cost-effective for them to procure their own parts, I seem to remember one journo blog recently backing this up relatively recently, pointing to the fact that GP2 suffers due to the relatively high cost of new parts when procured via Dallara.

    If memory serves, they damaged the parts during a race weekend, and thought that if they sent them back to Dallara, they wouldn’t get new parts in time – it may have been during a GP2 Asia race – so they decided to fix the parts themselves and complete the race meeting.

    Anyway, if Coloni have been done in for a technical infringement that could be classified as cheating, then it is probably something they have been doing all season, and may feel that it is not technically illegal, and that is te source of the disagreement. The series organisers have stripped them of their points and will take any further points from them, but they haven’t publicly kicked them out. So Coloni have interpreted the rules one way, the organisers have said no, but have understood how Coloni could have come to that conclusion, and so allowed them to bow out with their dignity (relatively) intact.

    #205210
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    According to Will Buxton, there was a “breach of trust” between Coloni and the other teams that was considered so severe they were stripped of all their points. There hasn’t been any word on what that “breach of trust” might have been, though.

    That said, I’m only hearing this second-hand. I’m having a little trouble tracking down where and when Buxton said it.

    #205211
    Steve
    Member

    Buxton said that at the beginning of SPEED’s GP2 coverage.

    #205212

    Interesting stuff. Sounds pretty serious.

    #205213

    Rumours getting a bit more strange:

    “Interesting rumour about Coloni possibly jumping to IndyCar for 2013. Must admit, I didn’t see that coming. Let’s see if it happens.”

    #205214
    AdrianMorse
    Participant

    Perhaps they will team up with Filippi again (is he racing in IndyCar yet?).

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